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The Seaweed |
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USS Champlin DD-601 |
Fall 1999 |
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continued from page 1 their way to Europe with their cargos of precious materials to aid in the war against the axis. German submarines were a deadly menace and they exacted a heavy toll on the supply ships. They were merciless and very efficient in their craft.. American destroyers and all such escort vessels had to be constantly vigilant and possess the ability to strike back immediately when the U-boats attacked. Aboard the Champlin, and I imagine it was standard procedure for convoy duty, we were at general quarters every morning as daylight broke on the horizon and the sun started to appear. It was called "dawn alert". The U-boats liked to attack at this particular time. Experience had showed them the convoys were most vulnerable at that time of the morning, and they would attack out of the sun.
On the roster of the USS Champlin we had two Eddie Millers listed. This Eddie had no middle name and over the years I have always remembered him that way. On that particular morning at "dawn alert" the weather was bad with wind blowing and rain squalls. Fairly large waves would break over the ship and the sun certainly wasn't a factor. Eddie must have been a torpedoman striker because he was with me on the depth charges and had on the headphones in communication with the bridge. Out of nowhere a giant wave hit the ship and the two of us - head on. When it receded the phone line had been pulled out of the bulkhead jack and Eddie Miller had been swept overboard, never to be seen again. When that wave hit I remember grabbing a stanchion and holding on. It all happened in a split second and I'll never know how I was able to hold on and why Eddie disappeared right before my eyes. To this very day, I wonder about the sad circumstances of that terrible day on the Atlantic Ocean. Why Eddie and not me? Only the good Lord knows the answer to that question. The Champlin and crew turned back and we searched the area for a long time, but in vain.
Eddie was a young sailor and part of the Champlin crew, doing his duty in defense of his country like the rest of us. He probably had dreams and aspirations like the rest of us. Looking back on my own life and fulfillment after the war - his would have been similar I'm sure.
Eddie and my Memorial Days for the last 56 years always go together, because to my way of thinking, he gave his life for his country that stormy morning. So, to all former crew members of the DD-601, next Memorial Day, remember Eddie and his last known address: 37 degrees north latitude and 68 degrees west longitude.
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The Hunt For U-856 (The following text was copied from the USS Champlin's log, pages 109, 110 and 111) < Friday, 7 April, 1944 04 - 08 Steaming as before. 08 - 12 Steaming as before. 0800 position: Lat. 40º 43'N; Long. 62º 19'N. Patrolling area of submarine contact. 12 - 16 Steaming as before. Noon Position: Lat. 40º 37.5'N; Long. 62º 22'W. |
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